IOPAS research in the Norwegian Greenland Seas by Jan Piechura

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IOPAS research in the Norwegian Greenland Seas
by Jan Piechura
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R/V OCEANIADisplacement 370 TLength 48.9
mBreadth 9,0 mDraught max 3.8 mPropulsion
sails 430 m2 raised and driven hydraulicallyAuxil
iary engine diesel, 310 HP with controllable
pitch propellersbow thrusters 70 HPMax speed
13 knots on sails, 9 knots with engine
Our main research tool
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and main area of research
IC NIIC NAC NwAC NwASC WSC
Irminger Current North Icelandic Irminger Current
North Atlantic Current Norwegian-Atlantic
Current Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current West
Spitsbergen Current
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and our measurements strategy
IC NIIC NAC NwAC NwASC WSC
Irminger Current North Icelandic Irminger Current
North Atlantic Current Norwegian-Atlantic
Current Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current West
Spitsbergen Current
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Main limitation was weather
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and ice conditions
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Years 1988-1996
Investigations of the one branch of the West
Spitsbergen Current, between northern Norway and
southern Spitsbergen
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Evolution of the measurements area in years
1988-1996
1996 sections across the entire Atlantic Domain
1988-1994 Regular stations grid across the WSC
1995 first longier sections across the WSC
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Years 1994-1997
Investigations of the Arctic Front the
baroclinic, western branch of the West
Spitsbergen Current
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Year 1995
Example of results of Arctic Front investigatons
Baroclinic meanders at the Arctic Front
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Years 1997-2003
2000 present sections across the entire AW
inflow
The main goal AW transport. Evolution of station
grid
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Years 2000-present
Investigations of the whole Atlantic Domain,
both branches of the West Spitsbergen Current
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Years 2000-present
sections across the entire AW flow Barents Sea
Opening, Fram Strait inflow into the Arctic Ocean
and southward recirculation
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Years 2000-present
Sections are perpendicullar to the expected flow
of the West Spitsbergen Current, from the
Barents Sea shelf (eastern branch), across the
deep basin and over the underwater ridges(the
Arctic Front, western branch)
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eastern branch (WSC core)
the Arctic Front (western branch)
Barents Sea shelf (eastern branch),
1st Arctic ROOS meeting, Lulea, 18-19 Dec
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mean salinity of the Atlantic Water column
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Summer 2004-2006
Northward shifting of the warm AW Temperature at
100 dbar
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PATHWAYS OF ATLANTIC WATER - STRUCTURE
VERTICALLY INTEGRATED TRANSPORTS OF ATLANTIC
WATER ACROSS SECTIONS Summer 2005

• TWO AW TRANSPORT MAXIMA (CORE, WESTERN BRANCH)
• SOUTHWARD FLOW REGION BETWEEN BRANCHES
• CONVERGENCE OF TWO STREAMS AT 78º N
• DIVERGENCE OF STREAMS AT 79º N
• THE EASTERN BRANCH (CORE OF WSC) INFLOWS INTO THE
  ARCTIC OCEAN, THE WESTERN ONE MOSTLY RECIRCULATES

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PROPERTIES OF ATLANTIC WATER - VARIABILITY
TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES AT 100 dbar FROM MEAN
2000-2005

• 2003 LOW TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OF AW
• 2004 HIGH TEMPERATURE OF AW
• 2005 THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE OF AW,
• MESOSCALE ACTIVITY OF THE WESTERN BRANCH

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2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
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PROPERTIES OF ATLANTIC WATER - VARIABILITY
AW LAYER HEAT CONTENT AND BAROCLINIC CURRENTS
ANOMALIES FROM MEAN 2000-2005

• 2003 NEGATIVE AW HEAT CONTENT ANOMALY
• 2004 HIGHER HEAT CONTENT
• 2005 THE HIGHEST HEAT CONTENT, LARGE HEAT
  ANOMALIES CARRIED BY THE MESOSCALE EDDIES IN THE
  WESTERN BRANCH
• POSITIVE HEAT ANOMALIES CARRIED BY THE
  ANICYCLONIC EDDIES

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TEMPERATURE AND BAROCLINIC CURRENTS AT THE DEPTH
OF 100m IN JUNE/JULY 2005

• CHANGES OF THE CURRENTS STRUCTURE IN THE FRAM
  STRAIT REGION IN SUMMER 2005
• INTENSIVE AW ALONGSLOPE INFLOW INTO THE ARCTIC
  OCEAN AND HIGH ACTIVITY OF THE WESTERN BRANCH

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Atlantic Water properties at section N along
the 7630 parallel
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IPY MOORINGS
IO PAN
IOPAS Mooring (MMP and Seacats)
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THANK YOU